Top for rumble seats for automobiles



Dec. 22, 19%. BL" s. RINKER El AL TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l amen W003 fiezdn 512:9212;

M Wi'fipeera.

Dee" 22, 1936. B. s. RINKER ET AL 2,065,027

TOP F OR RUMBLE SEATS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 2; 1936 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Ben/ion Sifizkka; M W17 Spears.

1 Bum/van; S

Dec. 22, 1936. B. s. RINKER ET AL 2,065,027

TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 2, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuwvbo b and M. W Speens.

Patented Dec. 22, 1936 TES ATENT ()FFICE TOP FOR RUMBLE SEATS FOR AUTOMOBILES Application April 2, 1936, Serial No. 72,398

3 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful imfirovements in a top for'rumble seats of automoiles.

An object of the invention is to provide a foldable top which may be detachably connected as a unit to the body of the vehicle without altering the construction of the body, and which, when folded, may be shifted into the pit containing the rumble seat for storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foldable top of the above type, which, when extended, may be connected firmly to the back of the seat and the body of the vehicle by a manipulation of the supporting frame of the top.

A still further object of the invention is to provide supporting guides for the frame of a foldable top of the above type which are detachably clamped to the body and extend into the pit beneath the deck of the body at the front of the 20 pit so that when said folded top is moved along the guides and stored within the pit, it will be placed out of the way of the passengers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a supporting means for a foldable top of the above type which includes manually controlled devices for automatically raising the frame from the pit at the will of the passenger.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing the improved foldable top and supporting means therefor, with the top folded and stored in the pit in front of the rumble seat;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the foldable top and frame raised from the pit preparatory to unfolding and extending the same;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the top partly unfolded in broken lines and fully extended in full lines preparatory to the connect ing of the same to the body and the back of the seat by a manipulation of the frame;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the top as connected to the back of the seat and the body of the vehicle;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through one of the clamping devices and showing a portion of the supporting guide which is carried thereby and a portion of the frame of the top, and also the latch for securing the frame in a raised position;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the latch;

Fig. '7 is a view showing a slightly modified form of the invention wherein means is provided for automatically raising the top from the pit when released by the operator;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a detail showing more or less diagrammatically the top applied to the vehicle and the side curtains in place, and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view through the top as applied, and showing the side curtain in full lines at one side in place for use and in broken lines in folded position, and showing the side curtain at the other side in folded position within the top.

The invention has to do with a foldable top for rumble seats of automobiles. The foldable top includes a main frame to which is attached a foldable top supporting frame extending from said main frame to the rear seat. There is also attached to this main frame a top supporting frame which extends from the main frame to the body of the vehicle. A flexible top covering is attached to these top supporting frames and extends all the way from the forward side of the front frame to the rear side of the rear frame, thus making a complete top covering extending all the way from the body of the vehicle to the back of the seat. The foldable top supporting frame is so constructed that the section of the top in rear of the main frame when detached from the seat may be folded against the main frame. The frame for the top located in front of the main frame can also be folded against the main frame. Thus it is that the top is folded into a compact assembly at the opposite sides of the main frame. The main frame is mounted on guides which are detachably connected to the body of the vehicle without, in any way, altering the construction of the vehicle. Each guide is rigidly secured to a clamping member which hooks over the inner edge of the trough at the sides of the opening leading to the pit in front of the rumble seat. A clamping screw bearing against the under face of the trough serves as a means for detachably connecting the guide to the body. The main frame has projecting lugs which are directed along the guide so that the folded top can be stored in the pit in front of the seat, and of the passenger sitting thereon. The guide is curved and extends well underneath the deck in front of the opening leading to the pit, so that when the top is lowered it is stored underneath the deck and does not, in any way, interfere with the passenger room in front of the seat. The foldable top, together with the clamps'and guides, form a unit which may be readily attached to or detached from the body of the vehicle without altering the construction of the vehicle, and at the same time, the top may be folded and stored Within the pit in front of the rumble seat or raised and attached to the body and the seat for protecting the passengers. In one form of the invention, means is provided for automatically sliding the main frame along the guides to a raised position, which automatic means is under the control of the passenger.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the automobile to which the invention is applied is of the rumble seat type. It includes a body I having the usual rigid top portion 2, in rear of which is a deck 3 having an opening therethrough. This opening 4 leads to the pit 5 in which is located the rumble seat 6. Associated with this rumble seat 6 is a back i which, when folded, closes the opening 4 leading to the. pit. The deck 3 of the body is bent downwardly at 8, thence laterally at 9, and thence upwardly at In, along the sides and at the front of the opening 4. This provides a housing adapted to receive a flange l 1 formed along the sides and across the top of the back i for the seat, so that when the seat is in closed position, this flange extends into this housing, and thus the opening is tightly closed. These parts are all of the usual. construction and further detail description thereof is not thought necessary.

The improvement resides in a foldable top of unit structure which may be removably attached to the body without altering the structure thereof. The foldable top includes a main frame l2 which is preferably one integral structure including side members and a top cross member 8211. Pivoted to this main frame at the outer end thereof is a front top frame member 53. Said member is pivoted at is to the main frame. This frame member i3 is preferably of one piece and includes side members and a cross member 15. Also pivotally attached to the main frame i2 is a rear top frame it. This rear top frame includes side members and a cross member 51. Each side member is made in three sections which are pivoted together. The section I8 is pivoted to the main frame l2. The section I9 is pivoted to the section [8 at 20. There is a section 2! which is pivoted to the section I!) at 22, and these sections carry the cross member W. This makes up a foldable rear top section which may be shifted to a position close to the main frame 12, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or extended, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. When the sections of the rear frame are. in extended position, the ends of the section l9 contact with stop pins 23 and 24, respectively, and this limits the movement of the sections relative to each other, holding the same in substantial alinement.

There is a flexible covering 25 which is attached to the front top frame l3 and the rear top frame It in the usual manner. Said flexible covering or top extends over the cross member I5 and is riveted or otherwise secured thereto. Said flexible covering or top also extends beyond the member IT and is riveted or otherwise secured thereto. The flexible covering or top has depending side portions 25a.

The main frame is supported by guiding members 26. There is a guiding member at each side of the pit, and this guiding member extends all the way from the opening to the floor of the pit. The guiding member is curved forwardly as indicated at 26a, and thence extends downwardly as indicated at 261). These guiding members are close to the forward side of the pit and placed so as to be well out of the way of the passengers sitting on the seat 6. Each guide at the upper end thereof has an auxiliary guiding member 21 spaced from the guide 26. The side members I2 of the main frame are connected by a cross rod 28. This cross rod is placed a short distance from the lower ends of the side members of the frame and at the extreme lower end thereof are lugs 29. There is a lug on each side member. The

end of the rod 28 projects through the frame and forms a lug 3B. The lugs 29 and 30 are adapted to contact with and move along the guide 26. These guides 26 are secured to the body by a clamping means. There is a clamp for each guide. These clamps are similar in construction and a description of one will answer for the other. Each clamp includes a member 3! having a hookshaped upper end 32 which is adapted to engage over the member ID of the body. Said clamp has a transversely extending member 33in which is mounted a clamping screw 34. This clamping screw engages the member 9 of the body and draws the hook end 32 into firm contact with the body. Thus it is that each clamping member may, at will, be attached to or detached from the body of the vehicle and without, in any way, al-

ering the structure of the vehicle. The guide 26 is attached to its respective clamping member by rivets or bolts which are indicated diagrammatically at 35, 35.

Pivotally connected to the guide 26 is a latch 36. Said latch 36 is pivoted at 3'! to the guide. The latch has a laterally projecting handpiece 38 whereby it may be easily manipulated. The latch is also provided with a recess forming locking shoulders 33 and 48. When the top is in set raised position, this latch engages the lug 30 on the rod 28 and will hold the main frame located in a set position on the guides.

Attached to the cross member I5 is a flexible member 4%! which extends all the Way across the front frame. Pins 42 are attached to the upper portion of the body 2 and are so positioned that the flexible member ii may be raised to contact therewith when the top is extended, and when said flexible member is pressed against the pins, they will become embedded in the flexible memher. This will make a flrm locking joint between the front frame and the upper portion of the body of the vehicle. The cross member I! of the rear frame is provided with locking hooks 43 which are adapted to engage the flange I l at the back of the seat for locking the rear frame to the back of the seat.

The top when folded against the main frame may be positioned within the pit in front of the passengers, and with the lugs 29 and 30 resting on the guide 26. The guide 25 is provided with bracket plates Mi which house the lugs 25 and 3B, and thus the main frame is held in rigid position when it is moved into the pit for storage. Straps 45 attached to the guides 25 are utilized for holding the top in its folded position. The strap is attached at 45 to the guide 26 and is adapted to be detachably connected by hooking or otherwise to the guide 25 at ll.

When it is desired to use the top, the strap is released, and the folded top, as a unit, is slid along the guides 26, thus bringing the top from the pit to a position above the deck of the body of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 2. The front section I3 is then moved to a raised position as indicated in full lines in Fig. 3. The rear top frame is moved to an extended position, as shown infull lines in Fig. 3. The main frame is raised above its set position slightly, and the latch 36 maybe connected to the lug 29 for holding it in this raised position, while the top sections are being extended and placed for connection to the body and the back of the seat, respectively. The latch is then released, and the main frame moved downward to the position shown in Fig. 4. When ,inthis extreme raised position shown in Fig. 3, and the front frame member is placed in engagement with the pins, the sides of the front frame member and the sides of the rear frame member are raised slightly above alinement, as shown in this Figure 3. After the flexible member 4| is placed against the pins and the member ll brought-into position for engagement with the flange H at the rear of the seat, then the main frame is lowered to the position shown in Figme 4. The straightening out or bringing into alinement of the front and rear frame members, will force the flexible member on to the pins, and the hooks 43 on to the flange at the rear of the seat, and thus it is that the foldable top is rigidly clamped to the top of the vehicle and the back of the rumble seat. The latch not only holds the main frame in this set position when it engages the lug 30, but the auxiliary guide 21 cooperating with the guide 26 and contacting with both lugs, will tend to hold said main frame member in rigid set position. This makes a very strong and durable connection for the foldable top when extended to the top of the vehicle and the back of the seat. When it is desired to fold the top and store it in the pit, the latch is removed and the main frame raised to the position shown in Figure 3, which will release the hooks 43 and alsothe flexible member from engagement with the pins, The front frame I3 is then lowered to folded position, and the rear frame member is folded as indicated in Fig. 3, so as to bring the top frame members and the flexible top into a compact position adjacent the main frame l2. The latch 35 is then released so that the folded top, as a unit, is moved along the guides which will direct the unit folded top forwardly beneath thedeck 3 and store the same well out of the way of the passengers. When the top is fully lowered, it will be held in position on the guide by a bracket 26c, and the straps may be attached for preventing the top from unfolding.

From the above it will be apparent that we have provided a unit foldable top for the rumble seat of an automobile which may be attached to a vehicle body without altering the structure thereof, and when it is attached, it may be readilyfolded and moved into the pit for storage, or the top may be removed from the pit and extended and connected to the body and the seat so as to serve as a covering for the passengers.

In Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings, there are shown side curtains which may be used in connection with the foldable top. The side curtain 4&3 extends about the side members of the front and rear top frames and is secured thereto in the usual way. Said top is provided with hooks 49 at spaced intervals which may be clamped beneath the body member 8, and thus the side curtain secured to the body as well as the frame. The side curtain is adapted to be folded against the under side of the top as shown in Fig. 10, and when in folded position, it is held by straps 5B engaging the hooks 49. In this Fig. 10, the side curtain 5| is shown as folded against the top and secured by the strap 53. There is also shown in broken lines, the folding curtain 48 ment with the section l9.

and the securing of the same by engaging the hook 69 thereof with the hook 52 attached to the curtain.

In Figures 7 and 8, there is shown a modified form of construction wherein the foldable frame supporting the flexible covering or top is autmatically raised from the pit and automatically distended. In this form of the invention, the main frame i2 is of the same construction as described in connection with Figures 1 to 4. The front frame i3 is also of the same construction. The front frame is pivoted at I20, to the main frame. The rear frame supporting the flexible covering or top includes a section !8, a section 19 and a section 2i which is similar to that described above. Connected to the sections l3 and #8 are links 53 and 5d. These links are pivoted together at 55. A rod 56 is connected to the pivot 55 at its upper end, and is pivoted at El to a lever 53 which in turn is pivoted at 59 to the main frame Q2. The section 2i has an extension Zia. The link 66 is pivoted to this extension at El and is also pivoted to the section 18 at 62. There is a link 63 which is pivoted to the end of the section l9, which is adjacent the main frame I2, and this link 63 is likewise secured to the pivot 55. It is understood that there are similar links and levers on both sides of the main frame. The flexible covering is attached to the top frames in the manner described, but has been omitted from Fig. 7 for the sake of clearness.

The main frame is provided with a cross rod 28a which extends through the frame and provides lugs 25. The frame is also provided with a rod 28 which extends through the frame to provide lugs 38 such as described above. There is a guide (it at each side of the pit for the lugs 25! and 38 carried by the main frame [2. Each guide is in the form of a tube, and the lugs extend through a slot 55 into the tub-e. The tube at its upper end is clamped to the body in the manner shown in Fig. 5, and at its lower end, it is connected to a bracket 66 which rests on the floor. Located within this tube is a compression spring 61. There is a latch 68 pivoted at 69 to the guide 66 and spring-pressed to the position shown in Fig. 7. There is also a latch if! pivoted at H to the guide Ed. When the top frame sections are folded against the main frame, and the main frame with the folded top lowered into the pit, the lug 29 will compress the spring 61 and the latch 68 will engage the rod 28a and hold the frame in its stored position. Upon releasing the latch 68 the spring will force the lug 29 along the guide 64 and this will raise the frame from the opening leading to the pit, and as the frame reaches the position shown in Fig. '7, the lever 58 which normally extends at right angles to the main frame I? will contact with the body, and will be turned in a clockwise direction, and this, through the rod 58 and the links 53 and 54, will cause the front top frame !3 to move to a raised position bringing the clastic member 4| opposite the pins d2 on the top of the vehicle. This will also cause the section 58 to swing to the raised position shown in Fig. 3. The link 63 will swing the section I 9 into alinement with the section 13 and the link 56 will operate to swing the section 2| into aline- This extends the rear sections of the top frame and brings the hook 43 into a position adjacent the flange on the back associated with the rumble seat. Thus it is that when the passenger releases the latch 68, the folded frame carrying the flexible covering or top will be moved automatically from its stored position within the pit to a raised position, and the top frame members extended ready for the clamping of the same against the top of the vehicle and the back of the seat. The passenger then pulls down upon the frame 92 so as to bring the cross bar 2811 into position for engagement with the latches it and this will draw down on the sections is and 18 of the top frame, bring ing them into alinement as described in connection with Figures 3 and i, and also causing a connection between the flexible member ti and the pins 52, and likewise the hook and the flange H at the back of the seat. All the passenger has to do is to release the latches, and then the top will move to its extended position, and by drawing down on the frame, it will be connected to the vertical top and the back of the seat. When it is desired to fold the top,

then the latch E is released, the frame E2 is raised so as to release the flexible member from the pins and the hook it from the back, after which the top frame members can be folded against the main frame member and the main frame member moved along the guides compressing the spring until the rod 28 passes the latches 68, when they will automatically engage the latch and hold the folded top in its stored position.

While the invention has been described in detail as applied to the rumble seat of an automobile, it is to be understood that this fold able top and the means for supporting the same may be used in connection with boats, launches and any other type of moving vehicle where there is a pit having a seat for a passenger.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A foldable top for the seat of a vehicle comprising supporting bracket members secured to the body at the sides of the seat opening, a guide carried by each of said bracket members and extending into the pit of the seat opening, a supporting frame including a pair of side members slidable on said guides whereby to permit the said supporting frame to be raised and lowered, a front frame section carried by said supporting frame and adapted, in folded position, to lie against the said supporting frame, a rear frame section carried by said supporting frame and adapted, in folded position, to lie against said supporting frame, a flexible cover for the front and rear frame sections, vertically spaced holding means at the lower ends of said side members, and means on said guides engageable with said spaced holding means to hold said supporting frame in different set positions, said holding means being disposed so that, when the side members of said supporting frame are in one set position, the said supporting frame will be elevated so as to permit the front and rear frame secaocaoav tions to be extended to a position for engagement with the vehicle, the connection between said supporting frame and the front and rear frame sections being at one side of the normal locked position when in this set position with the front and rear frame sections out of alignment whereby a movement of the side members of said supporting frame to a second set position will force said front and rear frame sections toward alignment and cause the same to tightly engage the body of the vehicle.

2. A foldable top for the seat of a vehicle comprising supporting bracket members secured to the body at the sides of the seat openings, a guide carried by each of said bracket members and extending into the pit of the seat opening, a supporting frame including a pair of side members slidable on said guides whereby to permit the said supporting frame to be raised and lowered, a front frame section carried by said supporting frame and adapted, in folded position, to lie against the said supporting frame, a rear frame section carried by said supporting frame and adapted, in folded position, to lie against said supporting frame, a flexible cover for the front and rear frame sections, spring means associated with each of said guides and connected to said side members for normally raising said supporting frame whereby the front and rear frame sections may be extended, means on said guides for engaging the side members of said supporting 7 frame to hold the said supporting frame at a set position to maintain the front and rear frame sections in their extended positions in engagement with the vehicle, and latch means at the lower ends of said guides for engaging the side members of said supporting frame and holding the folded top in stored position.

3. A foldable top for the seat of a vehicle comprising supporting bracket members secured to the body at the sides of the seat opening, a guide carried by each of said bracket members and extending into the pit of the seat opening, a supporting frame including a pair of side members slidable on said guides whereby to pennit the said supporting frame to be raised and lowered, a front frame section carried by said supporting frame and adapted, in folded position, to lie against the said supporting frame, a rear frame section carried by said supporting frame and adapted, in folded position, to lie against said supporting frame, a flexible cover for the front and rear frame sections, spring means associated with each of said guides and connected to said side members for normally raising said supporting frame, means including a lever mechanism operable upon the raising of said supporting frame for automatically extending said front and rear frame sections, and means on said guides for engaging the side members of said supporting frame to hold the said supporting frame at an elevated set position to maintain the front and rear frame sections in their extended positions in engagement with the vehicle.

BENTON SETTLE RINKER. MARY W. F. SPEERS. 

